Finkelstein Memorial Library 24 Chestnut Street, Spring Valley, NY 10977 Phone: (845) 352-5700 Fax: (845) 352-2319 Director: Bob Devino

A good way to search for health information on the web is to go to established websites that have gathered reliable information. There are many websites that do this. The following are websites that may be useful when starting your search for health information. 

Warning: There is a wealth of health information on the Internet but it should NEVER should take the place of a doctor’s professional opinion. What the Internet can do is provide you with the knowledge necessary for preventing and caring for illnesses, keep you informed on how to take care of yourself and family, and enable you to get educated enough so that you can ask the right questions when you get to the doctor’s office.  

The Finkelstein Memorial Library does not review or monitor these websites nor is it responsible for their content. Your linking to such websites is at your own risk. This list is under constant revision. Links are added or subtracted due to the changing nature of the web.

Health Directories

Dr. Koop
Dr. Koop is a former U.S. Surgeon General with a desire to make current, accurate, health information available to the public. Full text materials can be found on this site, a searchable list of Dr. Koop's reviews of ther health sites is available with links to those sites, and lots more.  

Family Doctor (American Academy of Family Physicians) All of the information within Family Doctor has been written and reviewed by the physicians and patient education professionals at the American Academy of Family Physicians. 

Intelihealth
Joint venture of Aetna U.S. Healthcare and Harvard Medical School. Drug  Info offers Q&A, recent drug approvals, disease/condition specific information, poison information, etc. Site offers conveniences such as "printer-friendly formats" and easy e-mailing of pages to friends. 

Mayo Health Oasis
Designed for health care consumers, this site includes numerous articles featuring Harvard Medical School's consumer health information, patient versions of drug information from the USP, a medical dictionary, a search engine, and other features of interest to consumers. 

The Merck Manual Home Edition
Online full-text consumer version of the health professional's popular Merck Manual. 

NOAH: New York Online Access to Health 
An easy-to-use consumer health web site that offers a combination of in-house articles on disease and health topics, and links to selected consumer and technical medical information on the Internet. One of the few online health resources that emphasizes Spanish language materials.

Veritas Medicine
A free confidential resource providing access to clinical trials and information on treatment options. Find appropriate clinical trials, review current and investigational treatment options and obtain authoritative information from physicians at leading academic medical centers.

Adam
A leading developer of interactive health and medical information for consumers, students and healthcare professionals. A.D.A.M.'s products combine physician-reviewed text, medical illustrations, multimedia, and interactive tools and technology that explain complex medical and health information in a consumer-friendly manner.

Consumer Information Center  
This federal site offers the full text of dozens government publications about nutrition and health topics. Some of the subjects covered include dietary guidelines, buying fresh fruits, vegetarian diets, contraceptive choices, Alzheimer's disease, cancer tests, chronic fatigue syndrome, eating disorders, headaches, depression, surgery, and skin cancer, among others.

CBS Health Watch- 

Thrive Online

 

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Drug Information

 

Medline Plus Drug Information 

RX List A free drug index with an excellent search engine, searching by brand name, generic name and category. Includes the "top 200" drug prescriptions. 

Drug InfoNet
Description: This site tells you everything you ever wanted to know about prescription drugs. Search by brand name, manufacturer, or generic name. Graphic and page design are above average. 
 
US Food and Drug Administration 

Ask NOAH About: Pharmacy - Drugs and Medications 
This comprehensive page contains a wealth of pharmaceutical information for the consumer. Traditional drugs as well as herbs, vitamins and minerals are included. There
are links to drug databases, sections for specific age groups, and a Spanish language
option. 

Cracking the Code: How to Read a Prescription 
Information about prescriptions, including the difference between generic and brand
names, and a list of commonly used medical abbreviations which you see on
prescriptions. Produced by the State of Maryland Office of the Attorney General. 

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Children's Health

American Academy of Pediatrics offers hundreds of documents ranging from recommended childhood immunizations to the full text of from the journal Pediatrics. The site includes more than 200 policies regarding such issues as AIDs in schools, asbestos exposure, the impact of music lyrics and television on children, etc. 

Kids Health offers hundreds of articles separated into sections for parents and children. Articles for parents include topics such as attention deficit disorder, night terrors, teenage suicide, ear infections, tonsillectomies, etc. 

Noah (New York Online Access to Health) Child's Health NOAH aims to provide the public with high quality health information in English and Spanish that is specifically geared for the consumer.

Parents' Common Sense Encyclopedia
Description: The Common Sense Encyclopedia gives short, easily understood answers to common questions that come up in everyday pediatric practice - in the office, or on the phone with parents. The definitions and answers are not meant to be definitive, textbook style discussions - it's "news you can use." The explanations are simple, direct and useful. 

 

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Laboratory Tests and Procedures 

Is the site's operator reputable?

Who operates the site? In some cases, the site's address provides clues. How authoritative is the source?

General Health Web Sites
.gov --- Government sponsored 
.org --- From a not-for-profit agency 
.edu --- Sponsored by a university 
.com --- Developed by a for-profit company
which may be selling a product. 

Is the site operated by a pharmaceutical company or other business that may be pushing a particular product? 

Does a site  receive funding from a pharmaceutical company or other firm?

Does the site list a postal address, e-mail address, and phone number where you can get more information?


Who wrote the specific document you're reading? What are the author's credentials, affiliation, or background? 

Why was this written? Is it to educate, or promote a particular point of view or sell a product or service?

Does the information you're reading conflict with commonly accepted medical knowledge? 

Do other sources confirm the accuracy of what you've found online?

Does the information appear to be thorough and complete? 

When was the document written, and when was it placed on the Web site?

How current? Is the site updated regularly? If the last update occurred months or even years ago, be careful.

Does the site exhibit the common signs of quackery such as hearsay, testimonials like "I lost weight without trying,"  "My energy level increased 100 percent!" 

Final Thoughts:

Use the Internet to:

* find articles from medical journals, reports from the National Institutes of Health, and similar reputable organizations. Online tools such as diagnostic tests are available on your timetable.

* find a forum for a wide variety of medical issues and conditions where you can exchange information, questions and support with other people. |

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